The first wave of free agency is officially in the book, which means the NFL Draft is the next big event on the offseason calendar. In just over one month, the Cincinnati Bengals will officially be on the clock, and the dreams of 100\u2019s of collegiate athletes will finally come true. Trying to predict what will happen during the draft requires a lot of luck, as there are so many variables to account for. However, this New England Patriots mock draft takes a look at the players the Patriots could go after when April rolls around.<\/p>\n
Note that this Patriots mock draft does not include any trades due to the obvious issues with simultaneously trying to make decisions for two separate teams. Also note that this exercise was performed using the Draft Network\u2019s Mock Draft Simulator<\/a>, so all of these players have a decent chance of being on the board when the Patriots are on the clock.<\/p>\n Duron Harmon<\/a><\/strong> is gone, and Devin McCourty<\/a><\/strong> and Patrick Chung<\/a><\/strong> aren\u2019t getting any younger. Whether it\u2019s McCourty, Rodney Harrison<\/a><\/strong>, or Lawyer Milloy<\/a><\/strong>, Bill Belichick<\/strong>\u2019s defenses are always at their best when they have a stud safety shoring up the secondary. Xavier McKinney<\/strong><\/a> is going to be the heir to McCourty\u2019s throne in the long run, and his ability to play free safety, in the box, and in the slot ensures that he\u2019ll have a role in the short-term.<\/p>\n Xavier McKinney NFL Draft Profile<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n The Patriots luck out by getting arguably the best tight end in this class with the 87th<\/sup> overall pick. Adam Trautman<\/strong><\/a> has serious potential in the passing game, although he still needs to work on getting open against more physical styles of coverage. While he\u2019s nothing special as a run blocker, he should be New England\u2019s best tight end and provide a reliable target for Jarrett Stidham<\/a><\/strong> or whoever is under center in Week 1.<\/p>\n Adam Trautman NFL Draft Profile<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Unless you know you have an elite quarterback, you should draft one every single year. Jake Fromm<\/strong><\/a> doesn\u2019t have a superstar ceiling, but the Georgia product is smart with his reads and knows where the ball should go every time he takes the snap. I\u2019m personally higher on him than most<\/a>, as I blame most of his underwhelming statistics on poor schemes, bad coaching, and unreliable receivers. He should be better under Josh McDaniels<\/strong> and should be in the mix for the Week 1 starting job.<\/p>\n Jake Fromm NFL Draft Profile<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Julian Edelman<\/a><\/strong> isn\u2019t getting any younger, and the Patriots need to find a reliable young target to work the underneath routes. K.J. Hill<\/strong> doesn\u2019t have Edelman\u2019s athleticism, and he probably won\u2019t be a true heir to the throne. That said, he\u2019s the definition of a reliable slot receiver and proved he could handle a big workload while at Ohio State. Grabbing him late in the third round is a no-brainer.<\/p>\n Kenny Willekes<\/strong> isn\u2019t anything special from an athletic standpoint, but he has the motor and drive that Bill Belichick loves. You never see him take a play off, and he\u2019s always pursing the play, no matter where he is in relation to the ball. Even though he\u2019s not that quick or fast, he can typically get to the ball carrier thanks to his above-average instincts and football IQ. While the ceiling might not be too high, he should be able to be a rotational body on defense and chip in on special teams.<\/p>\n Quintez Cephus<\/strong> adds to the depth at wide receiver. The Wisconsin product has a great catch radius and the ability to haul in just about anything thrown in his direction. However, he struggles to get open and is going to need to be schemed into space. Essentially, he\u2019s a poor mans\u2019 N\u2019Keal Harry<\/strong>. However, while Harry is fantastic after the catch, Cephus is nothing more than pedestrian. 2019\u2019s actions indicate that Bill Belichick is looking for bigger, stronger receivers, and Quintez Cephus certainly fits that bill.<\/p>\n The Patriots are going to need depth at linebacker after losing Jamie Collins<\/a><\/strong>, Kyle Van Noy<\/a>, <\/strong>and Elandon Roberts<\/a><\/strong> to free agency. However, the board never aligned for New England to take a linebacker without passing over a superior talent at another position. Mohamed Barry<\/strong> is no stud, but the Nebraska product could actually play a depth role right out of the gate. He\u2019s similar to Roberts in that he\u2019s a hard-hitting old-school linebacker that makes his living in the middle of the field. He\u2019s solid at going sideline-to-sideline and could be a serviceable third linebacker behind Dont\u2019a Hightower<\/strong> and Ja\u2019Whaun Bentley<\/strong>.<\/p>\n The Patriots have plenty of cornerbacks, but this is all about taking the best player available. Lamar Jackson<\/strong> has the ideal size and length for the position, but need a lot of technique refinement before he\u2019s ready to become a true NFL contributor. The Patriots have a long history of making the most out of late-round and undrafted cornerbacks, and Jackson could be New England\u2019s next great reclamation project.<\/p>\n With Stephen Gostkowski<\/a><\/strong> out of the picture, somebody is going to have to kick. Rodrigo Blankenship<\/strong> could be the best kicker in the class and is certainly the best kicker left on the board.<\/p>\n Trevon Hill<\/strong> is too small to be a defensive end and too slow to be a true linebacker. However, he has the athletic profile to come on the field in obvious passing downs as a situational pass-rusher. When you\u2019re picking this late in the draft, that\u2019s all you can ask for.<\/p>\n Raequan Williams can do everything at a below-average, but not quite terrible, NFL level. If he makes the roster, it will have to come on special teams. In terms of playing defense, he\u2019s nothing more than an emergency depth piece.<\/p>\n Someone has to take carries in the preseason, and it might as well be Michael Warren II<\/strong>. The Patriots have too many running backs as it is, but Warren could carve out a depth spot if injuries strike.<\/p>\n Main photo:New England Patriots Seven-Round Mock Draft<\/h2>\n
First Round (23rd<\/sup> Overall) \u2013 Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama<\/h3>\n
Third Round (87th<\/sup> Overall) \u2013 Adam Trautman, TE, Dayton<\/h3>\n
Third Round (98th<\/sup> Overall) \u2013 Jake Fromm, QB, Georgia<\/h3>\n
Third Round (100th<\/sup> Overall) \u2013 K.J. Hill, WR, Ohio State<\/h3>\n
Fourth Round (125th<\/sup> Overall) \u2013 Kenny Willekes, EDGE, Michigan State<\/h3>\n
Fifth Round (172nd<\/sup> Overall) \u2013 Quintez Cephus, WR, Wisconsin<\/h3>\n
Sixth Round (195th<\/sup> Overall) \u2013 Mohamed Barry, LB, Nebraska<\/h3>\n
Sixth Round, (204th<\/sup> Overall) \u2013 Lamar Jackson, CB, Nebraska<\/h3>\n
Sixth Round (212th<\/sup> Overall) – Rodrigo Blankenship, K, Georgia<\/h3>\n
Sixth Round (213th<\/sup> Overall) \u2013 Trevon Hill, EDGE, Miami<\/h3>\n
Seventh Round (230th<\/sup> Overall) \u2013 Raequan Williams, IDL, Michigan State<\/h3>\n
Seventh Round (241st<\/sup> Overall) \u2013 Michael Warren II, RB, Cincinnati<\/h3>\n
\nEmbed from Getty Images<\/a>